


Black Rose, Rose and Bloomed

by InfinityIllusion



Category: Bleach
Genre: Currently powerless Ichigo, Don't worry he gets better, Gen, M/M, POV Outsider, POV outside happens for about 80 percent of the fic, as if Kisuke would leave him like that, matchmaking!Karin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-05-19 17:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14878320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfinityIllusion/pseuds/InfinityIllusion
Summary: Karin follows Renji back to the Urahara Shouten and realizes that, yes, this is the guy Ichi-nii said to go to if anything really bad were to happen to him.She's not all that impressed, initially, but Getabōshi grows on her.  Like a green and white fungus.(And, really, there's only so much time she can spend in Getabōshi's company and realize that the best way to draw him out of science rambles and mutters and that general headspace is to say, "Ichi-nii."  So, she maybe nudges things along.  Ichi-nii needs to know that someone is in his corner, and if that isn't where Getabōshi is standing then Yuzu isn't her twin.)(Day 7: Color Prompt, Color: Black)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what I'm doing here~. *sings worriedly*
> 
> (This was supposed to be short? So short? And cute and fluffy? I am confused)
> 
> Anyways, I don't own Bleach, I don't think there are any warnings? There's background guilt complexes and maybe some depression.

* * *

Karin first goes over to the Shouten because she catches sight of some of the weirdo’s that’ve been around in the past few months, back when Ichi-nii could still see and hear ghosts. Honestly, she’s pretty curious as to what they’re doing now that they don’t need her brother to fight their battles for them, and it’s been three months since they apparently totally cut ties with him.

(She also hopes that they’re not here to try and take Ichi-nii away again, because while it hurts him to not have his powers, there’s a large part of Karin that can’t help but think, _good, now maybe he’ll be safe_.

It’s a childish part – she knows the monsters, Hollows, will still be attracted to her and Goat-face and even Yuzu, and Ichi-nii won’t be able to see them, to get away.

As if he’d ever just _run_ if they came.)

It occurs to her, a few minutes after following one with long, bright red hair, that maybe they’re here for her, now.  They needed one Kurosaki to fight their war, and now they need another one.

Karin scowls at the thought.

If they’re here to take her, she’ll make sure to put up a fight – except, Yuzu.  If they’re here for _another_ Kurosaki with powers, Karin is easily the next choice, but there’s also Yuzu, who’d be so much easier to kidnap.  She still can’t see regular ghosts well enough, or even hear a lot of them most of the time, to be able to fight them off, let alone a Shinigami, and there’s probably a way to train her so she gets strong quickly, but it’s probably like steroids and not anything Karin wants near her younger sister.

Shit.

Well, she’ll think of something.  It’s not like Red has noticed her, yet, although considering how he’s running on air and rooftops, and she’d running down shaded allies, she can’t really blame him.

There are a bunch of other, better, things for her to blame him for.

And then the Shinigami touches down in front of an old-fashioned candy(at least, she thinks it's supposed to be candy) shop, and the guy Ichi-nii calls Getabōshi is there, even if he doesn't look incredibly happy to _see_ Red.  Sure he’s got the green and white bucket hat, and the geta, and the old-fashioned clothing that makes him look like he’s maybe supposed to be in the next NHK period drama, but Karin doesn’t get the sense of “sadistic but helpful, if you need it” that Ichi-nii had told her and Yuzu about with as close to a smirk as he got those days.  These days.

Getabōshi actually looks like he’s berating Red.  While smiling and messing with the fan.

(Ichi-nii really seemed to hate that fan, the one time he described it.)

And if this Shinigami, Red, was one of Ichi-nii’s Shinigami friends?  Well, Karin is all too happy to see him be berated.  She’d appreciate it if she could _hear_ too, because Ichi-nii was pretty sparse on the details of what exactly had happened with Rukia-san, and then he’d been really serious about what was maybe going to happen when Inoue-san went missing.  And now?  Karin really isn’t going to ask Ichi-nii about anything relating to Shinigami right now, not unless he brings it up first.

Apparently, Red had disappeared while she was lost in thought, and now Getabōshi has his eyes on her.

Well, if she could see them under the dang _hat_.

But his face is pointed right at her, and he’s not shooing her away, and this is the man that Ichi-nii had told them to go to if something _really_ bad ever happened.

So she goes up and meets him.

“Kurosaki-san,” Getabōshi says, “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Karin snorts.  “And _I’m_ surprised to see some of Ichi-nii’s friends in town, because none of them have stopped by.”

“Ah, well, Abarai-san is always a little…late.”  The sentence was phrased to make it sound like a tactful commentary about the Shinigami in question.  It did not sound tactful in the least, not with that tone.

“Yeah?  Well, why haven’t you gone and seen him, then?  You taught him for a bit, right?”

“I guess Kurosaki-kun has been telling stories,” Getabōshi says, noncommittally.

“Yeah,” Karin affects nonchalance.  “Like he told us about Rukia-san, and he told us about the fact that maybe he was gonna die fighting a war for Shinigami, and how we should go see the man at Urahara Shouten and ask for Getabōshi because he’d protect us since Ichi-nii figured that guy would probably protect us ‘like he does Jinta and Ururu-chan.’”

She doesn’t scream the quote at end, doesn’t tack on how she thinks that anyone who considered themselves a teacher for Ichi-nii should be responsible enough to protect him, too.  But that’s only because she knows Ichi-nii would be incredibly embarrassed if she voiced that thought.

Getabōshi seems to read the judgement in her face, regardless, and combined with her statement, seems very, very sad for a moment, before his face goes blank in general.

Karin can’t help but think, “ _Good._ ”

(Yeah, maybe she should’ve gotten Yuzu first since she’d probably be so much better at this, but she’s not putting her sister in the way of _any_ Shinigami, now that they’re back and might want another Kurosaki. And Ichi-nii didn’t say, but it seems pretty obvious that of course Getabōshi is a Shinigami.)

He sighs, and says instead of anything resembling an apology, “I owe your brother a great deal.”

No. _Shit_.

And Karin?  Karin isn’t used to being this mad at the world like this, is used to having an older brother as protection and shelter, and something of a dad that doesn’t do much but is at least something resembling present in her and her sister’s lives.  Karin isn’t used to the responsibility of being the oldest in the Kurosaki family and having to account for everyone else.

But Ichi-nii needs a break, can’t keep up the façade he’s wearing as he goes back and forth from school trying to pretend things are normal, even vaguely, and Karin desperately doesn't want to lose her brother as she knew him before the damned Shinigami showed up and this man is the best hope she has, so she keeps a cool head like she’s practiced these past three months, squares her shoulders and asks as bluntly, as coolly as she can, “Yeah, and?  What’re you gonna do to help?”

She’s learned from watching her brother, watching other people, watching TV shows with Yuzu, that exploding in temper isn’t something conducive to making people take you seriously. And now it’s not her fate on the line, but Ichi-nii’s.

Getabōshi eyes her critically, but then nods, says, “We should discuss this over tea,” and turns back into the shop, flipping the sign to “Closed.”

Well, that wasn’t the reaction Karin was expecting.

(Karin learns that Urahara Kisuke almost never does what she’ll expect him to do, but at that point, she should just ask Ichi-nii anyways.)

What follows is an explanation on how to get Ichi-nii’s powers back, but in a way that potentially requires the help of the top-level Shinigami, and a lot of research and testing by Getabōshi, whose real name turns out to be Urahara Kisuke.

Yeah, nah, Getabōshi is what Karin is sticking with.

He pouts.  He _literally pouts_.

“Yeah, well, you wanna be called ‘Edo Hobo?’” She asks, eyebrow raised.

“No, no ‘Getabōshi’ works fine…”

“Great, now, how can I help?”

(And if Karin’s eyes remind Kisuke of Ichigo’s, well, that might just be the reason he’s given in so easily to her, let her see as much as she has, even if Kurosaki-chan knows that he knows Kurosaki-kun is going to kick his ass as soon as he finds out.)

That’s the start of Karin’s increasingly frequent visits.

~IiI~

A week later, Karin shows up with workout clothes and demanding to be trained.

Getabōshi is genuinely surprised, she thinks, based on the tone of his, “ _Why_?”

Although, that could be because he’s probably going to get his ass kicked even harder by Ichi-nii if he teaches her how to be a Shinigami.

“Because who’s going to protect Yuzu or Ichi-nii or even Goat-face if I don’t?”

Getabōshi looks actually angry for a moment – and, _wow_ , this is the most possibly real emotion she’s seen from him, but also _wow_ , scary – and then he opens his mouth again. “You do know that Kurosaki Isshin was a Shinigami and has recent regained those powers?”

And Karin _stills_.

“What?”

Getabōshi looks at her, mouth grim, and says, “Your father, Kurosaki Isshin, was once the Captain of the 10thsquad in the Gotei 13.  He had temporarily lost his powers for the past 20 years or so, but has recently regained full use of them.”

“How recent?” Karin croaks.

“…The final battle with Aizen.”

Getabōshi obviously doesn’t mean for that information to hurt as much as it does, just as it’s clear that he thought that Goat-face should have or had already _told_ her this.  And she can’t run back and kick her father for no good reason, because she’s actually trying to keep these meetings secret, so she asks, throat tight and unsure if she wants to vomit or howl and tear something apart, “Do you have a punching bag?”

Getabōshi nods, and that’s the way Karin’s first lesson starts – beating the shit out of a punching bag with Getabōshi commenting on her form as her fury winds down.

(She tries not to take it personally that he doesn’t try and spar with her.)

~IiI~

“Hey, Kurosaki!”

“What’s up Aki?”

“Where’ve you been going for the past month – we’ve missed you at soccer practice!”

Karin blinks.  It’s been a month already?

“Oh, some family stuff came up.  You still playing pick-up games on the weekend?”

“Yeah, we’re playing at the usual park, but if you come, we’re gonna have uneven numbers again…”

Karin shakes her head. “Don’t worry, I know someone who’ll come.”

 

Karin shoves the door open and yells into the shop, “Jinta!  Do you want to come and play soccer this weekend?”

“I have chores!”

Karin rolls her eyes, “I’ll help with your chores beforehand, okay?”

“Like, I can’t just drop what I’m doing and go _play_! You – oh.  Oh, yeah, okay.  But you gotta do them well!  You can’t just freeload like the freeloader!”

“The freeloader?”

Jinta snorts, and explains, “Yeah, that red-haired Shinigami with the weird Zanpakutou.  He stayed here for a while and was a total freeloader!”

Karin frowns.  “Yeah, I’ll definitely _not_ be like him.”

“Well,” Jinta draws out the ‘e,’ “it’s not like you’re not helping the boss, so I guess it’s not too bad.”

“Thanks, Jinta.”

He scratches the back of his head for a moment before perking up and asking, “Is Yuzu-chan going to be there?”

Karin pasts on the blankest face she can.  “No. She has her cooking club that day.”

Jinta wails.

Karin smirks.

~IiI~

“You know,” Kurosaki-chan says pensively from where she’s flopped on the floor, “I never see any of the Shinigami or Ichi-nii’s friends over any more.”

Kisuke doesn’t reply from his spot at the table, pouring over a wide variety of calculations.

“It seems weird that even the people he went to rescue aren’t coming by or talking to him, and Ichi-nii doesn’t even talk about Chad-san anymore.”

Kisuke still doesn’t reply, but he has stopped reading through the papers.

“It’s like all his friends dropped him, and yeah, I know, it’s been a _fucking year_ since they last saw him at least in the Human World, but they’re his _friends_ , _right?_ ”

Kurosaki-chan flips so she’s facing Kisuke, and he’s seen that facial expression before, on Kurosaki-kun just before he unleashed a Getsuga Tenshou.

“Who the _hell_ is keeping my brother’s friends away from him, Getabōshi?”

And Kisuke…Kisuke doesn’t say that Kurosaki Isshin came by and said anything, doesn’t say that he has an apology for Kurosaki-kun and while he could have found a way around Isshin’s presence at the Clinic or the house by simply finding Kurosaki-kun when he was wandering around town or even, if Kisuke were feeling particularly daring, at school.

Kurosaki-chan goes quiet. “Was it Goat-face?”

(Which, really, is a name that will forever make a small corner of Kisuke’s heart and soul howl in laughter, even if it is an excellent indicator of how lowly Kurosaki-chan thought of Isshin.  And if Kurosaki-kun would have sent his sisters to him instead of bring the problem to Isshin?  Well, maybe Kurosaki-kun thought that if he were in severe trouble or dead, then his father would be, too, but then again....)

“Fuck that _piece of shit_!” is growled and the tatami ends up a bit more abused, but Kurosaki-chan doesn’t rush out the door to confront Isshin.  That’s something, at least.

Kisuke isn’t quite sure Kurosaki-kun would be so restrained, but then, maybe he would be.

(Someday, Kisuke will stop comparing Kurosaki Karin to her brother.  It’s been another three months of constant exposure from that first day she followed Abarai-fukutaichou to the Shouten, and it hasn’t happened yet, but some day.  She hasn’t said anything about it yet, at least, but then, most of the comparisons he’s kept to himself.)

~IiI~

Karin sees the various pieces of equipment, sees reams and reams of paper covered in data points and charts and has no idea what a lot of it all means.

Sure, it’s something to help Ichi-nii get his powers back, but like.  _How_?

So she asks.

“How _are_ you planning on getting Ichi-nii’s powers back?”

Getabōshi kinda mumbles at her.

Which.  Fair enough, it looks like he’s doing math.

Karin should also probably be doing math.  Just, less hard math, ground in the Human World and not dealing with… _reiatsu_ waves?

Yeah, no.  She’ll ask later when Getabōshi is at least a little less distracted.

She’s still a little surprised he didn’t look up at her when she talked about Ichi-nii.  Usually that’s enough to start him out of anything he’s working on, but maybe the numbers are that important.

Karin shrugs and wanders over to grab her backpack.

It’s quiet, and peaceful, which is in short supply in her normal study spot given that it’s in her _room_.

(Peaceful is not how Karin would describe the Kurosaki household.)

But then Getabōshi crumples the paper with a quite curse, and well, guess the numbers really were important, but not helpful.

“Hey, Getabōshi, you keep spending all this time trying to get Ichi-nii his powers back…have you actually _told_ him that?”

Getabōshi blinks at her. “Oh, Kurosaki-chan, you’re still…here.”

Karin snorts.  “Yeah, it’s only been like an hour or two.”

Then she stares him down. “But, more importantly, have you actually _told_ Ichi-nii that you’re getting him his powers back?”

“Ah, no…not as…such.”

Karin rolls her eyes. “Well, you’ve got those phones that aren’t really phones, right?  Can’t he just use that?  Get around the whole ‘can’t see, can’t hear’ problem.”  And around the absolutely _moronic_ mandate Goat-face gave.  Not that Getabōshi, as a mad scientist, is probably overly worried about laws and stuff, but he seems really weirdly reluctant to go against Goat-face.  Like,  _okaaaay_ , he was a Captain and now he’s back at the power levels he used to have, but _mad scientist_.  Why go have a head-on fight when you could be sneaky?

(If Karin has been mulling over the problem and asked Yuzu about it, well, they’re twins.  If they can’t share their concern about their older brother, then they really can’t share anything, can they?)

“Those phones are powered by reiatsu…”

“Okay, but, like, can’t you get it to run off ambient stuff?  Or I can just charge it for him.”

“That could work – the majority of the electronics aren’t that different from a regular phone, and with a secondary converter of some kind inside and hooked up to the of the general ambient reiatsu drawing through the synthetic case…”

Getabōshi spirals off to plan out a new phone.

Which he’d _better_ get to Ichi-nii.  Because as much as Karin loves her brother and knows her brother loves her back, it probably means more coming from the guy that was something of a mentor had his back.

And Getabōshi has grown on Karin.  Kinda like a fungus.  A green and white fungus.  That spits out math, and science, and knows how to fight, and has some kind of hang up on her older brother.

(Alright, that’s a terrifying picture.)

She’s not sure how he’s going to get it to Ichigo, but he’s a mad scientist, and a Shinigami, and really sneaky.

~IiI~

Karin doesn’t say anything else about the phone-that’s-not-a-phone, but she does see something that looks like someone (Getabōshi) just mixed an anatomy textbook of someone’s torso and a phone schematic.

That takes about a day.

Getabōshi retreats back to a lab after that, so Karin shrugs, and sets up shop behind the counter with Tessai-san, because he’s cool and occasionally teaches her how to mess with her own powers.  It’s also more fun than taking over the kitchen table with all her homework, but, well, Karin isn’t going to admit that.

Tessai-san is really cool anyways, so she doesn’t have to.

~IiI~

“Kurosaki-chan~!” Getabōshi freaking _sings_ as he emerges from the lab a day or two later.

“What, Getabōshi?” Karin grumbles, but it’s distracted and more directed at the history homework in front of her than anything else.

“Would you be willing to – ”

“Nope.”

“But I haven’t even finished!”  He’s probably fanning himself all fake-offended.

(Right now?  She can see why he is – was? – friends with Goat-face. Still better than the poster of her mom.)

“No, I’m not giving Ichi-nii anything.  Give it to him yourself.”

“But, why, Kurosaki-chan?”

Karin finally looks up. “Uh, because it’s your gift to him? Because I’m trying to make sure Ichi-nii doesn’t find out I’m spending afternoons here before heading off to soccer? Because he should, I don’t know, _think you care_?  Because I’m not a messanger bird – _or butterfly_.”

Getabōshi closes his mouth. Yep, she guessed right.  He was totally gonna go there.

“Why, Kurosaki-chan, are you giving me permission to go see your brother?”

Karin rolls her eyes _so. Hard_.  Never mind, she takes back thinking he was as smart as she thinks he is.

(Only a little bit, though.)

“Hey, _I’m_ not Goat-face.  I’m also really not in the position to say anything, cuz, I’m, what, ‘fraternizing with the enemy’ or something by being here, aren’t I?  Also,” Karin looks around, and notes that there’s no one in the shop at the moment, because this _is_ a public setting, “ _fuck_ if I haven’t wanted Ichi-nii’s friends to come back and show they care, so yes, please, go and _give him the damn phone with a smile on your face or an apology or something_. Just, _you_ give him the phone.”

Tessai-san looks a little concerned behind his glasses.  “Tenchou?”

Right, Tessai-san probably heard about the gag order from Goat-face.

Getabōshi shakes his head and snaps his fan shut with a definitive snap.  “Well, I guess that’s all the permission I need.”

Karin nods at him and goes back to her homework.

They’re on the same page.

~IiI~

Kisuke considers his options.  The house is out, since Isshin is constantly about, what with the Clinic being next door, and accosting Kurosaki-kun on the way to school is just asking for trouble, no matter how discrete Kisuke can be.  If he’s going to do this right, it’s got to be more than a phone slipped into a pocket while he otherwise visibly refuses to acknowledge him.

So that leaves the school.

As much as Kisuke owes Kurosaki-kun an apology, there’s little chance of him confronting him at the high school.  Kisuke is good.  Very good. However, there’s something about confronting a high schooler at school that has a very high chance of having things go wrong.

(Appearances notwithstanding.)

So, what else?

~IiI~

Ichigo shows up to school the next morning and reaches into his shoe locker for his slipper only to find a black flip phone almost identical to his current one, save for the slight difference in thickness and the bright white fan charm hanging from it, shoved into his right slipper.

There’s a note tucked into his left slipper, but Ichigo really has no interest in dealing with this right now, so he shoves both into his backpack to look at during lunch.  At least there’s no visible tampering with anything else in the locker.  Or, you know, a possible massive hole in the school, because really, given the amount of time Ishida, Chad, and Orihime still spend at school, a Hollow really should’ve tried a time or three to come and eat them.

And that’s not even counting other people who can see after, well, Aizen.

That’s a bad thought, though, and as much as dwelling on it will carry Ichigo through Japanese Literature, he’s actually in school and he’s not letting the past take it away.

(But he’s got a note and a phone burning a hole in his bag – or, as close as he gets to burning curiosity right now.  Better than right after everything, but not great.)

So lunch comes slower than normal, and then he’s off to a tree barely on school grounds and he pulls out the note first.

_Kurosaki-kun,_

_This is not enough, but the phone will at least let you keep in contact with Shinigami who have the number.  It acts much like a normal Denreishinki, but it can also keep track of alternative hotspots of reiatsu like your friends (although Ishida-kun is more like a void of reishi).  This kuroden does still run off of spiritual particles like a regular Denreishinki, but rather than pulling on reiatsu, it pulls directly on the reishi of the environment._

_I owe you an apology, Kurosaki-kun, but as good as a formal apology is on paper, it would likely be more meaningful in person._

_I will be frank – I wish I could give that apology to you today, but I am and have been working on a way to restore your powers, and if that can, at least partially, absolve me of my part in your own loss of powers, then I will give you the apology you are owed at the same time._

_You are not one to give up, Kurosaki-kun, so I believe telling you to wait a little longer is perhaps unnecessary, but still relevant.  It is your powers that I am attempting to return, after all._

_At the rate things are going, you should have your powers back within the next year.  But you do not need to wait that long to contact your friends with this phone.  I have taken the liberty of adding the numbers of a few of your friends, such as Kuchiki-san, but unfortunately, this particular version can only support a phone call of 30 minutes to Soul Society._

_If you have any questions, the Shouten’s number is also listed in the phone._

_I am sorry, Kurosaki-kun._

_Urahara Kisuke_

 

Ichigo blinks at the piece of paper for a few moments, because he can’t say that this is what he was expecting when he found the phone and the note – in fact, he had honestly played with the idea of it being from one of the Yakuza families, but well.  It’s Urahara Kisuke.

(And maybe, just maybe, he’s smiling at that thought.)

Refolding the note, Ichigo flips open the phone and scrolls through the few numbers.  Renji is there under “Freeloader,” and Rukia is listed as “Chappy.”  Somehow every captain of the Gotei 13 except for Yamamoto is in there too.

Why on earth Ichigo would call _Kenpatchi_ (who is presumably the one under the name “Fight Me!”), Ichigo isn’t sure.  But whatever.

Urahara’s number is in there too, separate from the shop.  It’s.  A little weird, actually, seeing his first name written down like that, but “Kisuke” is admittedly a little less unique than “Urahara,” and since Getabōshi is a known nickname Ichigo has for him, he guesses that Urahara couldn’t just use that.

Because Urahara clearly means for this phone to be hidden in plain sight, for whatever reason, which puts Ichigo’s friends avoiding him into an entirely different perspective.

(Well, this is apparently Ichigo’s life, now, even when he’d thought he was done with all that.  But then, this is a lifeline he’s been thrown and that sense of potential danger is exhilarating.)

So Ichigo tucks the phone into a relatively hidden if still accessible part of his bag and resolves to go find a white phone charm to add to his real phone to make them even harder to tell apart from a distance.

(And there’s something in his chest, now, something that seems a little bit like it might be hope – because not _everyone_ abandoned him, and those that did might not have done it of their own free will.  That they still did is.  It’s not great, but, right now it’s less important than someone, maybe even especially, Urahara coming through for him.  Because Urahara has pretty much always had Ichigo’s back, even if there was weird scheming going on in the background, Urahara helped when Ichigo asked for it.

And Ichigo hadn’t forgotten that.  So he’ll wait, and when he gets his powers back and Urahara apologizes to him, he’ll tell him it’s not necessary.  This phone and having his powers will be more than enough to make up for what scheming he did.

Ichigo was the one to act, after all, and Urahara did show up to imprison Aizen, in the end.)

* * *

Alright, no ideas when chapter 2 is coming out because I really should get started on those final papers and I've got another performance to practice for next week. But next time they'll actually meet face to face.  I promise.

(...Muse willing.)

**Fun facts I'm putting here because if I put them in the notes they'll shift:**

"Edo Hobo," I mean, I guess I could translate this as びんぼうな江戸, but like.  It doesn't translate because that's literally calling the time period, based on those kanji, "poor," but I'm also too lazy for creative insults in Japanese right now. Suggestions are welcome, though!

Kuroden(wa) 黒電話 - a potential shortening of the word for old, black rotary phones.  But it's also a literal black phone that Kisuke made, so, there's that too.

On the topic of apologies - a written apology would be pretty formal, but I also can't see Kisuke writing on like that, so you've got the initial one in the note, and then we'll get on to the real one in the next(? look, if you think I know what I'm doing you're wrong) chapter.

Kudos, Comments, Concrit welcome. (And please let me know if the switches in POV are confusing!)

~Fins


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: Karin continues to live her life, plot, and get Ichigo and Getabōshi together. She also fulfills the requirements for being allowed to kick Goat-face's ass.
> 
> (Aka: Kisuke and Ichigo make use of the cellphones, and eventually kiss. Not without a lot of swimming in denials, though.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. idk I don't think I have much to say here. Um, I hope this is a satisfactory (and at least mildly hilarious) ending!

* * *

Karin gets back from school and the _Shouten_ , and Ichi-nii greats her with a _smile_.

“Hey, welcome back.” And he sounds _happy_.  Holy shit.

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” Karin is subtle.  She is as subtle as Chad-san in a room of kindergarteners, but Ichi-nii just raises an eyebrow at her.

Still, she presses her luck and tries to recover her equilibrium.  “Good day at school?”

“Eh, something like that. You?  Practice alright?”

“It was okay,” Karin bites her lip to prevent from spilling how Aki had asked her to bring Jinta to the pick-up games this weekend, and how Getabōshi had seemed ridiculously nervous today, and Tessai-san had looked concerned and amused, and how Karin’s set up a chore chart to split chores with Jinta and Ururu for days when she’s at the Shouten, and all of these other things that she didn’t quite realize had been part of the life she’s made at the Shouten.  She also wants to ask what Ichi-nii thinks of the phone she _knows_ Getabōshi had to have given him today.

Instead, she says, “Yachi-sensei in art is also letting us free style our next project, so I was wondering if you’d help me figure out what to do?”

“Sure.  I’m heading out to Unagi-ya in a bit, but we can brainstorm ideas now, or when I get back.”

“Okay!” Karin nearly shouts in excitement, and blushes.  And okay, so she probably deserves the look she gets from Ichi-nii at that, but she’s _missed_ him, and it didn’t feel right hanging with him when she was spending so much time with Getabōshi and Jinta and Tessai-san and Ururu.  It still doesn’t, but he has the phone now, so it’s at least better.

“Alright, then we’ll talk later.  I need to finish off a page or two of my own homework if I’m going to help you later.”

“Alright – thanks, Ichi-nii.”

Ichi-nii rubs a hand through her hair, and wanders upstairs to his room.

Karin sighs, but she can’t help but smile at herself.  If this is what Ichi-nii is like after just getting the phone, Karin can’t wait to see him with his powers back.

(And maybe some of it has nothing to do with the phone, but what the phone represents, and maybe even who it’s from…and that’s a thought.)

Well, something else could’ve happened to make him happy – heck, it could be his new part time job (which, Karin didn’t think was actually something Karakura high actually let their students _do_ , but Ichi-nii probably got Ochi-sensei to back him up or just ignored all the people complaining), but it was a lot more likely that it was the phone.  Because Getabōshi doesn’t get nervous, as far as Karin has seen. Frustrated?  Yes.  Annoyed? Kinda, yes.  Weirdly happy?  Oh yeah. Wary?  Definitely when it comes to Goat-face, who still needs an ass kicking, but Karin calls dibs on that one.  Nervous?  Not that she’s _seen_.

And now that she’s really thinking about it, Karin absolutely wants to know what the dang phone looks like, because she really didn’t get anything from that quick peek at the schematics she saw a week or so ago.  She wants to _know_.  It’s probably the little sister in her combined with actually being in the loop for once, but she’s not going to go snooping.  That’s just asking for problems.  Besides, Ichi-nii might eventually need someone to charge it for him, and she’ll get to see then.  Or maybe she’ll _finally_ tell him about hanging out with Getabōshi and how he’s actually a pretty cool person and _totally_ like a fungus.  That does mad science.

Karin considers that she should probably ask Yuzu to make cookies for a thank you for Getabōshi. And maybe as a reward for giving it himself, however he did it.

Karin could make cookies, but Yuzu’s always come out better.  There are only a few things that Karin can bake better than Yuzu, but Karin’s stews come out better for some reason.

It’s weird, because Karin just tosses things that she thinks goes together and smell good together in and adds herbs and stuff.  Yuzu still wins at curry, though.  (Well, Ichi-nii would win at making curry, but since he almost never cooks anymore….)

So Karin’ll ask Yuzu for cookies, and then bring the fixings for stew over, because once Yuzu gets a look at Ichi-nii she’s also going to want to thank Getabōshi.

(Plus, it’d be a night off of cooking for Tessai-san, so that’s probably a nice thank you for all the times he’s helped her out with figuring out her _reiatsu_ and all.)

~IiI~

Things continue as normal for Karin after the “thank you” dinner she presents to Getabōshi, Tessai-san, and to a lesser extent Ururu and Jinta – school, practice, Shouten, or Shouten and then practice, home, but she wasn’t expecting a dramatic shift anyways. She does get to pick Ichi-nii’s brain for art ideas, and it’s probably a fair amount of his influence that her art project is recreating a scene from _Hamlet_ using puppets in soccer uniforms.

Is it artistic in the way her teacher wants?  Eh, maybe not, but it’s fun and Ichi-nii helped, so even if some aspects (okay, like half the concept) is probably better suited for Foreign Literature class, she’s got the puppets she’s making.  So, she’s just…going beyond the confines of the directions given!

But that’s a worry that’s quickly pushed to the back of her mind, because what does change is how much easier it is to get Getabōshi’s attention, and how often she’ll find him fiddling with his own cell phone…which, come to think of it, she didn’t actually realize he had one until now.

“So, can you chat on your phone?  Does Line work?”

Getabōshi blinks.

“What’s ‘Line’?”

Karin rolls her eyes. “Um, a messaging app?  You can also send stickers and stuff, and post messages to your story – it’s kind of like Facebook, but on your phone and cuter and themed.”

“So it’s a messaging system through which a person chats, but it’s a specialized one, not like the preloaded apps on a regular phone?”

“Yep,” Karin pops the ‘p.’ “You can also make free phone calls, and video call and stuff like that, but I think most people use it for the stickers.”

“Which are?”

“Uh,” Karin has to pause. What’s the best way to explain this? “They’re basically small pictures kinda like emoji, but not just faces, and they sometimes move.  Most of the really popular ones move, and then really popular characters can be used to create themes – so the background of the app and messages received through the app and things like that.”

“Hmmm,” Getabōshi pulls out the fan to tap against his chin.

“…Are you just going to make a Shinigami version?”

No response.

“If you do, can you make Ichi-nii’s background full of cute strawberries?  And then make stickers of him using his different moves and let me put them on my phone, too?”

“Certainly, Kurosaki-chan!”

A few days after this conversation, Karin gets a phone invite to a new, free application called “ししゃ” (shisha) with no kanji to clarify what version of that particular word is meant.

Convenient, in case anyone looks at her phone, and the monochromatic swallowtail butterfly as a symbol is subtle and, honestly, really pretty.  On the other hand, it's a horrible, horrible pun.

Seriously, an app name with the possible kanji including 死者and 使者?  “Deceased” and “Messenger”? And that it could also be 支社, a “branch office?”

(Although, Karin really, really doubts that Getabōshi would want to be considered such if the rest of the Shinigami are the main branch…)

Seriously, Getabōshi needs a new sense of humor.

Yuzu thinks it’s cute, though, and after a quick message, Getabōshi lets her send an invite to Yuzu, too.

Karin proceeds to spam her sister with Ichigo’s sword because it looks _so cool_ , once she gets over having a background of _karin_.  Like, yeah, she asked for Ichi-nii’s background to be strawberries, but she didn’t realize that Getabōshi would turn it on its head and include the fruit version of _her_ name.

Yuzu replies with spamming the various facial expressions of Ichi-nii and some of the other Shinigami Karin has told her about or she’s met.

Somehow, Yuzu _also_ has a super personalized background, too. Karin shouldn’t even be surprised at this point.

And, hey, if they giggle about the messaging app and the various stickers they’ve thoroughly abused through dinner, it’s not hurting anybody.

(And then Ichigo makes his confused face, and Karin makes the mistake of catching Yuzu’s eye and _loses it_ , face planted on the table and shrieking with laughter, Yuzu giggling helplessly in her chair.)

~IiI~

A few days later, Ichigo opens his new phone, and sees a message from Kisuke – from Getabōshi, about some new messenger app that he’s apparently made.

Shrugging, Ichigo downloads it – and while he’s definitely curious as to why the heck someone introduced the concept of Line to Kisuke, er, to Getabōshi, he’s also morbidly curious as to what the whole thing is going to look like.

Seriously, with that name, it could be pretty bad (Ichigo will never forget the blood message on the wall that one time. Never).

Cute strawberries flooding his screen was not what he was expecting, though.

Nor were his face being used as stickers.

Eyebrow twitching, Ichigo click the free call button on the only friend he has registered on this new infernal account.

“Ah, Kurosaki-kun!” Getabōshi, listed as “humble shopkeeper” chirps.

“GETABŌSHI WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THE BACKGROUND OF MY PHONE?”

“Oh, you haven’t even seen the stickers yet?  I’m quite impressed with how they came out – they’re very true to the original.”

The fact that Getabōshi by-passed his usual admonishment about there being no need to shout or yell and focused on the _stickers_ is now very, very concerning.

“But while I have you on the phone, Kurosaki-kun, I was wondering if you had any light to shed about regaining your powers.”

“Uh, what d’you mean? Like, how I found them after Byakuya did a number on me?”

“If it’s not too much trouble – “

“Sure, I was in an ocean and they were in a box – like I did the whole ‘find the right soul’ thing I did with the cockatiel, and found them there.”

“What cockatiel?”

“Oh, Rukia didn’t tell you about that?”

“No, Kuchiki-san didn’t mention anything about, hmm, birds.”

“Right, so this was way back in the beginning….”

And then suddenly something like three hours have passed and Ichigo is ridiculously late for dinner, but it was worth it, to hear the scandalized noises Getabōshi made when Ichigo was recounting some of the antics he’d gotten up to in the beginning of his time as a substitute Shinigami, or some of the fights he’s gotten into over his hair, or that one time Karin decided to prank him and actually dye his hair…lime green.

(He’s pretty sure he heard Getabōshi scratching notes after that one, but oh well.  As long as it’s not black.

What’s more concerning is the notes Ichigo is definitely sure he heard being made after describing the Hollow that had been terrifying the boy possessing the cockatiel. Really, he doesn’t want to know what Getabōshi is going to do with that information.)

~IiI~

“Hey, so, do you think Getabōshi has a crush on Ichi-nii?” Karin asks Yuzu before bed on day.

“Um, why?”

“Oh, right, you haven’t really met him or Tessai-san properly – you should come with me a ditch your clubs one day! – but, like, every time I need Getabōshi’s attention, I just talk about Ichi-nii for a couple of minutes.  And Getabōshi was also kinda weird about the whole phone thing, and is really, really insistent on getting Ichi-nii his powers back.”

“Hmm, you’ve mentioned this before…”

“Yeah,” Karin snorts, “and then I saw Ichi-nii talking on the phone and _smiling_ , and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of his other friends.”

“So Getabōshi-san might not be the only one with a crush?”

Karin is quiet for a moment. “You know, I hadn’t fully considered it….”

“But none of his other friends have made contact with him…” Yuzu adds, and then continues after a pause, “So it might not be so bad.”

“Yeah.  Their sense of humor isn’t that dissimilar, and they’re both huge nerds, and Getabōshi can fight super well.”

“Okay, I’ll meet him and we’ll see.”

Karin smirks.  “So we’re doing this?”

“Yep!”

~IiI~

“Hey, Getabōshi?” Crap she really needs his attention, but he also looks like he’s working on something really delicate.  Why couldn’t this have been one of the times he was trying to look busy but actually was texting on his phone?  Oh, right.

“Hmmm…”

“Getabōshi.”  C’mon, please universe?  If the thing he’s holding breaks and sets back the timeline for Ichi-nii regaining his powers she’s going to scream.  And feel really guilty, and maybe break something.

“Just a minute.” Great.

“Getabōshi, Ichi-nii just walked in.”

“Wait, _what_?”  Good news, he didn’t drop the tiny thingy of whatever he was working on.

“Uh, yeah, so, Tessai-san is stalling a bit, but I guess he came to see you or something?  I don’t know, I’m going to go hide in the back.”

Even if she’d really rather be a fly on the wall for whatever conversation that’s going to go down.

At least Ururu will fill her in.

And it’s.  Really boring?  Apparently Ichi-nii just wanted to spar.  Getabōshi needed to be convinced, but went with it in the end.

(Tessai-san looks ridiculously pleased.  Also, a stray cat that just wandered in is also looking ridiculously smug.)

Karin is kind of confused, and pretty sure the cat is Yoruichi-san because description of “smug cat” was literally what the creature literally was, but hey, maybe it was code for flirting or something, and maybe the cat was just.  A weird but real stray.

What did she know? It’s not like Ichi-nii didn’t do something like that with Rukia-san…although that seemed more like a bickering kind of banter and give and take.

(At that thought, Karin doesn't feel the tiniest twinge of betrayal that Rukia-san hasn’t shown up once since Ichi-nii lost his powers.  Not at all.)

~IiI~

Kisuke is.  Kisuke is very unsure as to what, exactly, has happened to his relationship with Kurosaki Ichigo.

A large part of that is thanks to Kurosaki Karin, a much smaller portion thanks to Kurosaki Yuzu, and the remaining part due to the man in question.

Kisuke had created the _kuroden_ for Kurosaki-kun to use for serruptitious messages to his friends in Soul Society, and included his own number on a whim and in case of an emergency.

For example, one vision that has woken him from his normally restless sleep is Kurosaki-kun’s reiatsu depleting, depleting, and leaving him a shriveled husk.  (Just because Shiba Isshin survived the use of Mugetsu, doesn’t mean that Kurosaki-kun would.  It was likely, in terms of calculations, and even more likely when the hybrid in question was actually faced with the reality of it, but nightmares are never quite as logical as Kisuke hopes.  Until they’re far too logical, but that’s another matter.  Overly logical has never been a problem Kisuke has associated with Kurosaki-kun.  He doubts he ever will.

And if there’s a particular thrill to that thought, well.  He’s always been good at ignoring his feelings.)

On the other hand, _sparring_ with Kurosaki-kun is going to be interesting.

Without any of the power ups he’s had (had to have) achieved in such a short time, actually working on his other skills might actually be fun, in a way Kisuke doesn’t have to feel guilty about.

He’s also more than a little curious as to what it’ll be like to try and limit himself to normal human advantages, even if only for one part of their spar.  Certainly, Kisuke is good, but this is a challenge he’s never quite considered actually going through with, though not for a lack of opponents.

Some of it is a reluctance to take up something that reminds him so closely of his Onmitsukidou days and some of it is the freedom to do what science he can, whenever he can, because he can (even if there are…limits).

It’ll be, different, at the very least, and with Kurosaki-kun, “different” means “better.”

~IiI~

“So, why are they sparring? Do you think that’s code for flirting? Or something else?”  Which, while not a mental image Karin wants to entertain, is still possible.

“Well, probably flirting? I mean, it’s Ichi-nii.”

“True.  Do you think they’d actually kiss, though?”

Yuzu considers the question. “You said that Getabōshi-san is a mad scientist and a very good fighter….”

“Yeah.”

“So probably not.  Not unless Getabōshi-san calculates that Ichi-nii is interested and is willing to do something about it.”

“And Ichi-nii isn’t going to do something for a loooong time.”

“Right.”

“Okay, I guess we really do have to interfere.”

“Nothing too wild!”

Karin grins, “Nah, I won’t go crazy!  And you can’t either!”

Yuzu smiles.

“On a totally different note, though….”

“Yes?”

Karin frowns, “What’re we going to do with Goat-face?”

Yuzu purses her lips, but doesn’t offer any suggestions.

“Because I would really, really like to kick him and just, get out of the house for a while.”

Yuzu still doesn’t say anything.

Karin sighs.  “Like, yeah, sure he wasn’t a horrible dad to us – was actually pretty good, all told.  Weird and goofy, but not horrible.  And, he wasn’t super bad to Ichi-nii….”

“Until he was.”

“Yeah.  I mean, when even did he start the whole flying kick thing?”

“I…don’t really remember.”

Karin grimaces, “Yeah, neither do I.  And he doesn’t have any problems with Ichi-nii fighting back, or me fighting back or retaliating to something really weird he does, but at the same time….”

“Mmm…”

“And then there’s the whole Shinigami thing.  And the not telling us, not telling _Ichi-nii_ _even when he was one_.”

“He sees the kicks and tackles as training, though…” Yuzu points out, quietly.

Karin’s grimace deepens. “But, how much did it help Ichi-nii with the Hollows and the Shinigami and all?  Seems like it’d help him more in the street fights he gets into.”

“Mm…”

“…Can I kick him and then let us leave and hang out somewhere else for a week?”

“ _Karin-chan_!” Is Yuzu’s horrified reaction.  Except, she’s smiling, just a little.

Karin glowers, “He _deserves it_!”

“But where would we go for a week?”

“Uh, Getabōshi’s?”

“But isn’t that a horrible intrusion?” Yuzu frets.

Karin shrugs.  “Eh, as long as you help with chores I don’t think he really cares or notices.  And the chores are mostly for Tessai-san.”

“Fine.  If you can clear it with Ichi-nii.”

“Definitely!  Thanks, Yuzu!”

~IiI~

But first, Karin has to double check.

“So, Ichi-nii.  Where are you going when you’re not at your part-time job or helping out various sports clubs?”

“Uh, sparring?”

Karin narrows her eyes, “Is that code for flirting?”

Ichi-nii splutters beautifully and makes very, very weak denials.

That’s as good as confirmation for Karin.

~IiI~

So begins the various attempts to actually get Getabōshi and Ichi-nii to kiss, and it’s not totally so she can kick Goat-face in the balls and then leave the house for a while, but it’s a little bit about it, she can admit to herself.

And, they’re not bad – they’re just.  Horrible at actually figuring out each other’s feelings on this?

Seriously, _how deep is their denial_?  And it doesn’t help that for the first few attempts Karin tries to keep the fact that she’s been hanging around the _Shouten_ for the better part of a year now.

~IiI~

(The way it comes out goes something like this: Karin is tired of hiding, tired of lying, and Ichi-nii seems happier and less depressed, and maybe he’ll forgive her for lying. And she wants him to be happy and she wants Goat-face to get his just desserts.  So one day, instead of hiding when Ichi-nii walks in the front door for a spar with Getabōshi, Karin stays.

“Hi, Ichi-nii.”  Karin waves, before going back to her homework.

“Karin?”

“Yep.”

“What’re you doing here?”

“Bugging Getabōshi for help with my math homework, since he still owes me for the phone idea.”

“So you’re seriously milking that then, because that was at least six months ago.”

“Well, he keeps letting me…”

“Okay, _seriously_?”

“What?”

“How long have you been hanging out at the shop?”

“Um…sinceawhileago.”

“And this never came up because?”

“You were _sad and depressed_.  I didn’t want to make you  _sadder or more depressed_.  And I was angry at your Shinigami friends, and the _Shouten_ is quieter than home, and I already kinda knew Jinta, and you told us to come here if anything bad happened so, so, I thought that well, _something bad has happened_ , and even if I initially only really followed Red-haired guy to here, it doesn’t mean that something bad _didn’t_ happen so I just kept coming back.”

“Karin…”

And then maybe she bawls a little, but, well, she’s deserved it.)

~IiI~

So, Karin tries things like, out of season mistletoe (thwarted by Yoruichi-san), attempting to stage indirect kisses (which they thwart themselves), and a various fix of things Karin may or may not have gotten off the internet.

So, honestly, she really wasn’t expecting the whole “make them bump into each other so they’ll kiss” thing to work.  For one, because they’re both really good at fighting.  For another, because this is just the lamest trope in the book.

 _And it freaking worked_.

(Downside: actually seeing Getabōshi and Ichi-nii kissing.  Like, they’re cute together, but that’s her brother.)

“Cool, so, yeah, please talk out your issues now that you’ve acknowledged that you both like each other and want to at least kiss, I don’t want any further details, my work here is done,” Karin states as they pull apart with hearts in their eyes.

“Karin!?” Ichi-nii practically squeeks.

“Ah, Kurosaki-chan – ” Getabōshi says at the same time.

“Nope, I did my duty, you’re both adults.  Eh, kinda. Now I get my reward.”

“What’s your reward?” Yoruichi croaks from the floor, barely recovered from laughing at the very obvious bump Karin had given to Ichi-nii.

Karin grins.  “I get to go kick Goat-face for being an asshole and not providing information!”

And then she leaves to go do just that.

 

(She and Yuzu show up less than an hour later with their pre-pack bags.

“Kurosaki-chan?” Getabōshi asks warily.

“So, I finally kicked Goat-face for the lies, so can we stay here for like a week?”

“Sorry for the imposition,” Yuzu adds, bowing.

“Wait, where am I sleeping then?” Ichi-nii asks, ever so confused.

Karin and Yuzu smile. “We thought you’d be staying with Getabōshi/Getabōshi-san!”

Cue more spluttering. And blushing.  Wow, Ichi-nii sure does blush heavily.)

* * *

And that's a wrap. (Er, barring any edits because haha, I did not edit this basically at all, sorry....)

Kudos, comments, and concrit welcome!

~Fins

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun facts continued!
> 
> Line was started in 2011, but I’m playing fast and loose with the actual timeline of Bleach, so if it doesn't match exactly just go with it plz.
> 
> Variations of 'shisha' also include: 'preview'/'private showing' (試写) and 'test firing' (試射) all of which are way to appropriate (or inappropriate) for this fic and pairing. (Definitions are according to my dictionary app because I wish I were that awesome in Japanese but I'm not, not yet.)  
> Also, irl, there would likely be slight inflectional changes on at least a few of these words, but I'm not sure what they are, and anyways, in the written form, it's not important. What's important is being able to pass it off as a regular app.  
> Finally, while the most common definition/kanji word of 'shisha' means "deceased/casualty" (it pops up a lot in the news), given some of the names apps have in English, and the amount of word-play possible in Japanese...yeah, people might think it odd, but chances are, once it's explained to be a messaging app, they're going to think of the kanji compound for "messenger."
> 
> Reminder that kuroden is the specialized denreishinki Kisuke made Ichigo in the previous chapter at Karin's suggestion.  
> (Also, after they actually start dating, Ichigo's phone gains a bucket hat charm, and Kisuke's gains a strawberry with the number 15 written on it, because, no, he can't let all the word-play go.)


End file.
